


Syadiloh

by lone_lilly



Category: Grey's Anatomy
Genre: Christmas, F/M, Holidays
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-12-22
Updated: 2009-12-22
Packaged: 2017-10-05 06:35:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,450
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/38786
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lone_lilly/pseuds/lone_lilly
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The training wheels are off.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Syadiloh

**Author's Note:**

  * For [calliope_mc](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=calliope_mc).



> Happy holidays, MC! &lt;3 Hope they're good to you, honey. &lt;3

  
  
  
**Entry tags:** |   
[ga: derek/meredith](http://la-scapigliata.dreamwidth.org/tag/ga:+derek/meredith), [ga: meredith](http://la-scapigliata.dreamwidth.org/tag/ga:+meredith), [grey's anatomy](http://la-scapigliata.dreamwidth.org/tag/grey%27s+anatomy)  
  
---|---  
  
Syadiloh

**title:** Syadiloh  
**author:** [](http://lone-lilly.dreamwidth.org/profile)[**lone_lilly**](http://lone-lilly.dreamwidth.org/)  
**recipient:** [](http://www.livejournal.com/users/calliope_mc/profile)[**calliope_mc**](http://www.livejournal.com/users/calliope_mc/) who asked for Meredith/Derek, eggnog  
**pairing:** Meredith/Derek  
**rating:** PG  
**disclaimer: ** This is a transformative work used for entertainment purposes only.   
**spoilers:** through 6x09: "New History."  
**notes:** Happy holidays, MC! &lt;3 Hope they're good to you, honey. &lt;3

for [](http://www.livejournal.com/users/xmasesmissed/profile)[**xmasesmissed**](http://www.livejournal.com/users/xmasesmissed/)

\---  


It suddenly occurs to her one day that the thing Derek had wanted so much a year ago-- the thing she had dreaded so, _so_ much-- happens without her even noticing it at first.

Her roommates are gone. Every last one of them, even the strays. Sadie left town long ago and Lexie moved in with Mark. Alex and Izzie moved out to Derek's trailer, moved back in, then moved out a second time when they split up. She has no idea where Alex lives now and she never asks.

And, of course, George... well.

Even Cristina stops coming by as much in the mornings once Meredith returns to work and suddenly, just like that, she and Derek live alone.

The training wheels are off.

And the thing is, she doesn't even notice it until after Halloween and before Thanksgiving when she makes the comment to Derek one night that she's surprised Izzie hasn't come home to decorate for Christmas yet.

"I think that's on us this year," he tells her, amused, and she can only stare back at him with wide-eyed horror.

_Crap._

Except. Okay. She kind of _likes_ that there's no one to yell at them for having sex on the stairs (or the dining room table, or the washing machine, or up against the front door). And without a house full of noise and bickering and sex (that's not theirs), there's always hot water when she takes a shower and Diet Coke in the fridge and Derek buys exactly the right brand of tampons without her even having to _ask_. Much less beg.

It's...nice.

But she's not prepared at all for this holiday thing and she tells him as much as they stare at the real live tree they just picked out from an alley lot downtown.

Or, well. The _two_ trees. He picked out the most gorgeous tree on the lot and she made him buy the tiniest, scrappiest one she could find, too, to compensate.

"I've never done this before," she warns preemptively, lest he hand her a package of tinsel and tell her to get busy. "My mom had a decorator who did this for her."

"It's easy," he argues, wrapping his arms around her waist and resting his chin on her shoulder as she eyes the World's Most Perfect Christmas Tree dubiously. "I'll show you how."

They start with the lights and that really is easy enough, especially with him doing most of the work. Garland in two different colors is next and by the time she's tucked the last bit of gold sparkle deep into the bottom branches, she has to admit her side is just as even as his.

"Now, this is the hardest part," he tells her, handing her a box of multi-colored ornaments, every bit as solemn as the first time he handed her a scalpel. "The trick is to not put too many of one color or shape close together. Like this."

She watches him do five before she reaches for one red glass star and studies an empty spot on the tree until he notices.

"There's good," he assures her and she smiles as she hangs the ornament, feeling ridiculous and pleased at the same time.

They work until every box is empty, hanging ornaments and re-hanging some when a blue snowflake ends up too close to a pink one or a green ball weighs a limb down too much. It actually is kind of fun and she thinks she sort of gets it-- this good cheer thing-- when he explains to her how to toss the tinsel onto the ends of the limbs and instead she tosses a handful right onto his head. The way he laughs, happy and carefree, takes her breath away and she vows to do the same to him later when they finally go to bed.

By the time he steadies the enormous crystal star on the top of the tree over two hours have passed since they started. It doesn't feel like they have been working so long.

"Well?" he asks as he sinks to the couch to admire their handiwork. "What do you think?"

She eyes it critically but while her tinsel may be a tad too lumpy and every place she touched has that stilted look of someone trying a _little_ too hard, she can't deny that it's pretty good.

Pretty damn good, actually. Maybe not department-store quality but it's close enough.

"I like it," she announces before collapsing beside him. His arms are around her in an instant and she smiles as she leans in to him.

"This is nice," she muses softly, watching the strands of lights twinkle off all the glass on the tree. The whole thing looks... magical.

"This is all I ever wanted," he replies and for just a moment, one split second, she can feel the panic clutch at her heart. Then she blinks, the lights change patterns dancing swiftly around the tree, and she relaxes.

"I never wanted this."

Her admission is soft and it doesn't even occur to her to cloak her words with disclaimer. It's only the truth. She never allowed herself to want this. Never thought she could do it. Never thought they would make it so far.

She looks at him and he looks back. She smiles and so does he. He gets it. No need to explain.

He looks as if he means to kiss her and she shakes her head to stop him. If he kisses her this evening will turn into something else entirely, and while she wants him desperately-- has since he peered down at her Charlie Brown tree and pulled another twenty out of his wallet to pay for it without so much as a joke at her expense-- she's _so_ not ready for this part to end yet.

"Wait!" she exclaims suddenly and jumps up from the couch, disappearing into the kitchen before he can stop her. It doesn't take her long to find what she's looking for and she makes a mental note to thank Izzie for leaving all of her baking supplies behind.

She returns a short time later with two mugs, handing one off to Derek who eyes it skeptically.

"Hot buttered rum," she informs him, carefully situating herself next to him again. "I can't make eggnog."

He tries it even though she can tell he really doesn't want to, but his look of trepidation turns swiftly to pleasant surprise.

"It's good," he admits and takes another sip.

"Liquor," she shrugs as if to say he really shouldn't doubt her when it comes to alcohol anymore than he should when it comes to sex. Everyone has their skills and hers are well-defined.

"I could teach you to make eggnog sometime," he offers and she pictures another night like this one, cozy and warm and just the two of them in the kitchen. Making things for a change instead of defiling them. Who knows? One could be just as fun as the other.

...Not that she'd ever admit that to anyone.

"Don't press your luck," she teases and he laughs again, making her feel that warmth all the way down to her toes.

When he tries to kiss her this time, she lets him, deciding that prolonging the moment is silly when she could be enjoying an even better one with significantly less clothing. He sets aside their mugs and his fingers are warm when he cups her face.

This has always been the easiest part of loving him, the way he makes everything else slip away and all she has to do is melt into him and let him. It's so easy to forget that terrifying moment that always comes afterward when the euphoria dissolves into reality and she remembers what it's like to breathe without him.

Except maybe that's been happening a lot less lately and maybe _that's_ finally dawned on her too. Happy, married Meredith doesn't need to run quite as much anymore. In fact, she kind of likes exactly where she is. Especially when he pulls her into his lap and neither one of them even pretend to care that they are slowly getting naked in the middle of her living room. After all, there's no one to catch them anymore.

It's just the two of them now.


End file.
